Precast concrete body



Oct. 14, 1969 R. B. KELSO PRECAST CONCRETE BODY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 6. 1967 Fax 5. //e/-$0 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Oct. 14, 1969 R. B. KELSO 3,472,031

PRECAS'I CONCRETE BODY Filed Nov. 6. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I T l,

F0! 5. #0 /J a INVENTOR.

Oct. 14, 1969 R. B. KELSO 3,472,031

PRECAST CONCRETE BODY Filed Nov. 6. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ma dahone! HAW & MafllewA HTTORNE YS 0a. 14, 1969 R. B. KELS'O 3, 7 ,031

' I PRECAST CONCRETE BODY Filed Nov. 6. 1967 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gfy 7Hg/ 5. ffe/Jo INVENTOR a Jan xnuel Willow & MaHLewA w a HTTOR/VE YSUnited States Patent U.S. CI. 61-39 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Abody of precast concrete of a particular configuration to formbulkheads, retaining walls, pilings, and other similar structures.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This invention is acontinuation-in-part of my prior copending application filed on Mar. 12,1965, hearing Ser. No. 439,333, and now abandoned, for Structure for Usein Bulkheads, Retaining Walls, or the Like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Retaining walls orother barriers are often necessary to protect the shore line against theeroding efiect of water, ocean waves and breakers. Such retaining wallsare subjected to a variety of adverse conditions, not the least of whichis the repetitive movement of water and pounding of ocean breakers onthe protective retaining wall placed at the edge of the water.

In piling, it is desirable to get as much surface area as possibleexposed to the soil in which the pile is placed. Also, the moreperimeter in a pile, the more resistance per foot of length of piling,and thus the more effective is the piling.

The present invention provides a precast concrete member of a particularconfiguration that enables it to be used as a retaining wall, bulkhead,or piling which uses a relative minimum of volume of precast concretewhile providing a relative maximum of perimeter for the pile.

Description of the prior art There are several types of devicespresently available for use as piling such as a wooden cylindrical orsquare members, concrete cylindrical or square members, and a pilingwhich is tapered so that it is smaller at its lower end than at itsupper end. While it may be advantageous to have larger pile membersspaced farther apart, and while a concrete pile can be precast to anydesired size, the volume of present concrete piles increases at a fastervalue than the perimeter for any volume, thus increasing the cost of theconcrete pile. Also, as the perimeter of a pile member increases, theresistance of the pile to the soil increases, and the resistance perlinear foot of the pile member in the soil determines the forcenecessary to drive it into the soil, generally speaking. Also, thelength of the pile member affects the resistance to the soil as it isdriven therein and this in turn is an additional factor to be taken intoconsideration in determining the force required to position it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a precastconcrete body of a particular configuration which reduces the volume ofconcrete without reducing the perimeter for any given size of comparablesquare or round precast concrete piling and which increases theperimeter of the pile in relation to the volume of the precast concretebody. The present invention enables the use of fewer piles for a givenload as compared with other piling members.

Thus, the present invention overcomes the disadvan- 3,472,031 PatentedOct. 14, 1969 ice tages of precast concrete piling members heretoforeused in that it utilizes a relative minimum volume of precast concretewhile attaining a relative maximum perimeter, thus decreasing the costof the piling while obtaining a piling member at least equally as goodas, or possibly better than a square or round precast member of the sameperimeter.

Yet another object of the present invention is to pr0- vide a precastconcrete 'body of a particular generally triangular configuration thatcan be made in predetermined sizes and lengths to form a piling of adesired size and length or to provide a precast concrete body which canbe joined with similar bodies in end to end relation to form a piling orwhich can be positioned to form a retaining wall.

Another feature of this invention is a precast concrete body of adesired predetermined length which is provided with three concave mainside surfaces extending longitudinally which can be prestressed orreinforced to form a piling, or which can be formed of a desired lengthso a plurality of bodies can be stacked in end to end relation withsimilarly configured bodies and then placed in abutting end to endrelationship and prestressed to form a piling, or which can be used toform a retaining wall, the assembled bodies being stable in eitherarrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of thepresent invention will become readily apparent from a consideration ofthe following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a bulkhead or pilingfabricated from a plurality of precast concrete bodies in accordancewith the present invention and illustrates one configuration andrelationship of the bodies to each other and to the surrounding soil anda water covered area;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the arrangementof FIG. 1 and illustrates one embodiment of the configuration of theprecast concrete bodies of this invention and the manner in which thebodies may be joined to adjacent, identical precast concrete bodies;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective of a single precast concrete body of aform of the present invention illustrating in greater detail thearrangement of the edges and surfaces;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another form of the precast concretebody of the present invention and includes in dotted line a triangle toillustrate the difference in volume between the precast concrete body ofthis invention and a triangular body;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the precast concrete bodies of thepresent invention in end relation and positioned to form another type ofretaining wall;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view diagrammatically illustrating a plurality ofthe precast concrete bodies positioned in soil to function as loadbearing piles;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of FIG. 8 and illustrates onemanner of forming a prestressed piling with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of FIG. 6 and includes indotted line a circle to illustrate the difierence in volume with acircular concrete pile of similar perimeter dimensions;

FIG. 9 illustrates the precast concrete bodies in a water covered areaas load bearing piles;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a solid precast concrete body of thepresent invention which is prestressed;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a form of a mold which might be used toform the precast concrete bodies of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view on the line 1212 of FIG.

showing the present invention in the form of a solid precast concretebody of the present invention with reinforcing therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Considering the invention,attention is directed to FIG. 1 which illustrates a retaining wall orpiling generally at 10 which is positioned adjacent a body of water 12with the lower end thereof embedded in the subsurface designatedgenerally at 14, which subsurface extends upwardly at the rear of thebulkhead 10 as illustrated at 16 to form a land mass which is to beprotected from erosion and other deleterious effects of waves ormovement in the body of water 12. The soil 16 may extend sutficientlyvertically to abut the rear face of the retaining wall 10 along its fullheight or, if desired, fill material represented at 18 (which may besoil or other debris) may be added on top of the soil 16 to back thebulkhead 10 to the desired height.

Attention is directed to FIG. 4 which illustrates in cross-section aform of the precast concrete body of this invention generally designatedat 20b. For purposes of illustration, precast concrete body 20b is shownas being enclosed in an equilateral triangle represented generally at 20and further illustrated by the dotted lines 21. The body 20b is formedby three main side surfaces 22, 24, and 26 which extend longitudinallyfrom the end surface 40 shown in FIG. 3 to the other end surface (notshown) which is preferably generally parallel to the end surface 40. Themain side surfaces 22, 24, and 26 are curved inwardly to define concavesurfaces throughout their longitudinal extent which, in the preferredembodiment, are arcs of circles having a radius which generallyapproximate the length of the sides of the triangle 21 represented indotted line. The side 24 defines a front face for the body 20b, and theremaining two sides 22 and 26 may be designated as rear faces of theunit, or any side may be considered as forming the front face. Edgesurfaces 28, 30, and 30' are provided which extend lengthwise of thebody 20b as shown in FIG. 4. The edge surfaces extend longitudinally ofeach of said three main side surfaces and join the adjacent ends ofadjacent main side surfaces. In the form shown in FIG. 4, the edgesurface 28 is shown as being provided with a longitudinally extendinggroove or recess 28a, and the edge surface 30 is shown as being providedwith a tongue or longitudinally extending projection 30a wherebyadjacent units may be interconnected and positioned to form a unitarystructure. By way of further description, it can be seen as illustratedin FIG. 2 that a structure of any suitable height and width may beformed by fitting the tongue or projection 30a within the groove orrecess 28a of an adjacent body. The joinder of adjacent identical bodies20b such as the body 20b with the illustrated means provides anarrangement whereby rearward or forward forces on the resultingstructure are communicated or transmitted to the other bodies 20b andthereby inhibit or eliminate the movement of the resulting structure.Other forms of interconnecting means for the units may be used in lieuof the tongue and groove shown in the preferred embodiment withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

It will be recognized that the tongue and groove connective and coactingmeans also provides a seal between adjacent structural units which,while not perfectly watertight, does prevent water from flowing betweenadjacent units in sufficient amounts that might cause erosion behind thebulkhead. If a complete seal between adjacent units is desired, varioussealants such as tar may be added to the connection between adjacentstructural units.

The main sides 22, 24, and 26 of each unit are concave as shown in FIG.4 and overlap to form legs 24a and 24b which are symmetrical in relationto the axis of the body 20b represented at 20a in FIG. 4. The third leg240 is shown in the FIGS. 3 and 4 modification as being somewhat shorterin extent than legs 24a and 24b; however, in some applications it may bedesirable to have the legs 24a, 24b, and 240 of substantially the sameextent in which event the third leg 24c would be symmetrical with theaxis 20a of body 20b.

A plurality of spaced openings 20d extends through the body 20b, and inthe form of the invention shown in FIG. 4, extend through each legportion 24a, 24b, and 24c. The openings 20d are provided for receivingreinforcing means such as cables or rods therethrough as will bediscussed in greater detail. The embodiment of the invention shown inFIG. 4 includes three openings in each leg; however, any desired numberand arrangement of openings 20d may be employed. A central opening 32 isformed in the body with the adjacent portions surrounding the openingbeing of suitable thickness to withstand the forces and use to which thebody may be subjected.

The walls 22 and 26 which for purposes of describing one embodiment arereferred to as rear walls might be extended almost to the corner of thetriangle represented at 21 as shown by the dotted line representation at38 in FIG. 4 in which event the rear walls 22 and 26 will be equal tothe length of the front face 24. However, in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the weight of the precast concrete body 20b isreduced by terminating the rear faces 22 and 26 as shown in FIG. 4 andthereby omitting the dotted line portion of the body represented at 38so that the rear faces 22 and 26 are somewhat shorter than the frontface 24. Addition of the cross-sectional area within the dotted line 38is particularly advantageous for certain applications of the device ofthis invention as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a bulkhead,retaining wall, or piling 10 constructed in accordance with theteachings of this invention, and attention is particularly directed toFIG. 2 which illustrates four similar precast concrete bodies 20bstacked vertically to achieve a predetermined height and shows two suchvertical stacks of structures joined together by the connective meansand coacting means previously described. The precast concrete bodies 20bare formed by precasting concrete in suitable forms and may be deliveredto the jobsite for installation. To form a retaining wall or pile, aplurality of the precast concrete bodies is placed in end to endabutting relationship to form a pile or retaining wall of desiredlength, and a cable or rod 50 is connected on the end surface at one endof abutted precast concrete bodies by suitable means well known in theart, such as that shown in FIG. 1 wherein a plate 54 is shown as beingpositioned over the ends of the rods or cables and abutting the endsurface of the unit. A nut 56 or suitable locking means such as a clampis then connected on the rods or cables so that post tension can beapplied to the rods or cables and held in tension by any suitable meanssuch as plate 54 and nut 56 or other suitable locking or clamping means.The resulting length of connected bodies can then be positioned by meanswell known in the art to form the structure such as a retaining wall ora pile.

Additional lengths of bodies 20b may be abutted in end to end relationto form another member of suitable length for forming adjacent rows ofmembers, and the tongue and groove of adjacent lengths of bodiesconnected as shown in FIG. 2 to form a retaining wall or bulkhead. Thereinforcing rods or cable 50 placed in the openings 20d and extendedthrough each body to tie all of the bodies in each row together aid instabilization of the structure when completed. If desired, a walkway orroadway 58 may be formed on the top of the bulkhead or piling 10 andseals over the opening 52 and covers the tips of the reinforcing members50 which may be embedded in the walkway 58.

When the bodies 20b are arranged as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will benoted that the leg 24c resists any bending movement caused by the forcesresulting from the water represented at 12. Also, the legs 24a and 24b,by reason of their relationship to each other, aid in stabilizing theresulting structure 10, and the geometry of the precast bodies is suchthat no additional supports or structure is necessary to accomplish theintended result. The structure will not shift or yield under the loadconditions for which it is designed and will maintain its position. Italso enables heavy equipment to be used immediately adjacent thestructure 10 on the fill 18 or soil 16 without any fear of displacing ordamaging the structure 10.

Attention is directed to FIG. 5 which illustrates a plurality of precastconcrete bodies 20b placed in horizontal alignment to form what iscommonly termed a horizontal retaining wall. The body 20b of thisinvention is particularly useful as a retaining wall and may bepositioned in horizontal alignment in end to end relationship andresting on two of its legs as shown in FIG. 5 to define a retaining wallof any predetermined length. The bodies 20b illustrated in FIG. 5 arepositioned with their front face 24 on the lower side and adjacent thesoil. The left-hand portion 24a of the front face 24 is positioned asthe leading edge exposed to action of the water so that the rear face 22extends upright and is exposed to the surf to permit the surf to actagainst the face 22. The rearwardmost part of the triangle defining thecross-section is the portion 24b which is positioned away from the oceanand is embedded in the soil and fill is added to cover the edge surface30. If desired, reinforcing rods or cables may be inserted in openings20a.

The retaining wall illustrated in FIG. 5 may be extended in height byincluding the portion of the triangular crosssection within the dottedline 38 illustrated in FIG. 4.

The configuration of bodies 20b is such that they will retain theirpositions over extended periods of use. The relationship of legs 24a and24b to each other and to leg 24c when fill 70 has been added aids instabilizing the structure and retaining it in position.

In the configuration of the precast concrete bodies 20b in FIGS. 6, 7,8, 9, 10, and 12 and as better illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 8,the main side surfaces 22, 24, and 26 are again represented as beingconcave throughout their longitudinal extent and extend in a concavemanner continuously to the edge surfaces 28, 30, and 30' with thelongitudinally extending edge surface 28 joining the adjacent ends ofthe longitudinally extending main side surfaces 22 and 24 as indicatedat 22 and 24 as shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, the longitudinally extendingedge surface 30 joins the ends 24 and 26" of the main concave sidesurfaces 24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 8, and the edge surface 30 joins theends 22" and 26 of the main concave side surfaces 22 and 26,respectively.

Also, the edge surfaces 28, 30, and 30 are shown as being continuouswithout any interruption therein.

Openings 20d extend through the precast concrete body 20b for receivinga member to prestress the bodies 20b to form a prestressed, precastconcrete body.

The prestressing may be accomplished either by posttensioning orpretensioning as will be described hereinafter, depending upon thelength and size of the precast concrete body and its application.

In FIG. 8, the precast concrete body 20b is shown in cross-section andas having a central opening 32 extending longitudinally therethrough andis surrounded by the main side surfaces 22, 24, and 26 as Well as theedge surfaces 28, 30, and 30'. In some instances, it may be desirable toeliminate the opening 32 to provide a configuration as shown in FIGS. 10and 12 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

In FIG. 6, it will be noted that a plurality of bodies 20b is shown asbeing vertically stacked to form a piling represented generally by thenumeral 50 to provide a load bearing member to carry the slab orstructure represented at 51. The pilings 50 shown in FIG. 6 are shown asbeing formed of precast concrete bodies 20b which are of identicallength. However, it can be appreciated that the vertical length of theprecast concrete bodies 20b may vary depending upon their applicationand arrangement in the pile 50. Additionally, it may be desirable undersome circumstances to combine the form of the precast concrete bodiesshown in FIG. 8 with a solid form of the precast concrete bodies shownin FIG. 12 to form a piling 50 depending upon the soil condition andother factors which may affect it as it is being driven or otherwisepositioned in the surrounding soil represented at 52.

For example, under some circumstances, it may be desirable to have thelowermost body 20b in the piling 50 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of a solidform as shown in FIG. 12, and it may be desirable to have the uppermostbody 20b also formed of a solid configuration as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12with the intermediate bodies 20b being of the form shown in FIG. 8.

Where the piling 50 is formed by a plurality of the units 20b, they maybe prestressed by posttensioning by positioning cables through theopenings 20d in the abutted end to end bodies 20d and a force appliedthereto and a clamp 53 as shown in FIG. 7 then applied on the ends ofthe cables 54 to retain the tension therein. Also, it Will be noted thatin the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 8, 10, and 12, only threeopenings 20a are shown as extending longitudinally; however, additionalopenings could be provided for receiving additional posttensioningmembers therethrough. As a practical matter, the piling 50 would beformed by placing the bodies on the ground after they have been precastand the posttensioning cables then placed therethrough and tensionapplied to the cables in a manner well known in the art and the clamp 53then positioned at each end of the pile 50 before the pile is driven orotherwise positioned in the soil.

Referring to FIG. 9, the piles 50 are shown as embedded in a watercovered area, the water being represented at 55 and the soil againreferred to by the number 52. In FIG. 9, the piles are shown as beingformed of a plurality of individual bodies 20b which are connectedtogether before being driven into the soil 52. If desired, the pile 50could be formed of a single precast concrete body 20b of a suitablelength having the configuration shown in FIG. 8 wherein the opening 32is provided longitudinally thereof, and in other circumstances it may bedesirable to form the piling of a single precast concrete body 20b ofdesired length and eliminate opening 32 to form the solid configurationas illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12, but the solid configuration couldalso in addition to any prestressing by pretensioning be provided withreinforcing rods extending therethrough, such reinforcing rods beingrepresented by the number 56 in FIG. 10 as well as in FIG. 12. Ofcourse, reinforcing members could also be placed in the form of theinvention shown in FIG. 8, if desired. In any event, generally accepedmethods of reinforcement of the precast concrete body 20b may be usedtherein. For example, in some situations it may be desirable toeliminate both post and pretensioning of the body 20b and use onlyconventional reinforcing steel therein. In other situations, forexample, where the precast concrete body 20b is to be pretensioned, thereinforcing steel would assume another arrangement other than that shownin FIG. 10, and well known in the art.

A support structure is shown at 71 for supporting a drilling rig 72. Ofcourse, the form of the structure 71 may vary depending upon what is tobe placed thereon.

One form represented generally at in FIG. 11 which may be utilized toprecast the bodies 20b is diagrammatically illustrated in perspective inFIG. 11 comprising a plurality of side plates 58 having suitable flanges59 thereon whereby they may be engaged together by any suitable meanssuch as bolts 60 or the like. End caps 61 are provided for the form (oneof which is not visible in FIG. 11), and where the opening 32 is to beformed in the body 20b, the member 62 shown in dotted line would beinserted in the form prior to filling it with concrete. Additionally,tubular members 63 are provided which extend through the form 70 and theend plates or positioning members 61 and are retained therein by anysuitable means such as the openings 63a in the end plates or positioningmembers 61 so that the openings 20d will be formed in the body whencompleted for receiving the connecting and tensioning members throughthe bodies 20b when they are to be connected together to form the pile50 as previously described with regard to FIGS. 6 and 9.

Where, however, the form is to be used for precasting a body 2012 asshown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the reinforcing rods may be positioned withinthe form to provide a reinforcing arrangement as shown in FIGS. 10 and12 and in lieu of the tubular member 63, cables would be positionedwithin the form after it is assembled and ready to receive concretetherein and tension applied thereto for maintaining a tension in thecables and thereby prestressing the concrete body 20b by pretension.While the form is shown in vertical position in FIG. 11, it can beappreciated that the form may be horizontal, and the general arrangementof the form may be changed or altered as desired to precast the body inthe configuration described herein in the most economical manner. Theopening 67 in positioning member 61 would be of a configurationconforming with the solid portion of the body 20b when the body 20bassumes the configuration as illustrated in FIG. 8.

In FIGS. 4 and 8, the dotted line 20 in FIG. 4 and the dotted line 20 inFIG. 8 represent the volume of con crete has been reduced, thusresulting in the saving of 2012 as shown in FIGS. 4, 8 and 10. It can beseen that the perimeter of the body 20b is not substantially reduced,while on the other hand, the volume of the concrete has been reduced,thus resulting in the saving of concrete without sacrificing any of thedesirable characteristics necessary for forming a piling member or amember to be used in a retaining wall. Therefore, the precast concretebody of the present invention provides as much surface area as possibleper unit volume of concrete. It also provides a substantial surface areafor receiving blows to enable the member to be driven into the earthregardless of its length when formed as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 orregardless of its length when the pile is formed of a plurality ofconnected units as previously described with regard to FIGS. 6 and 9.

This invention under some circumstances enables a larger pile to bedriven so that the spacing of the piles can be arranged to avoidinterference of the pressure bulb formed at the bottom of the pile inthe soil with adjacent pressure bulbs. This increases the groupefficiency of the piles since there is less possibility for interferenceof the pressure bulb formed at the bottom and surrounding each pile.Therefore, under certain circumstances, a larger pile may be driven orotherwise positioned so that fewer piles are used to bear or carry agiven load. The bodies 20b of this invention can be precast to anydesired length as noted previously, depending upon the application whichthey are to be put. Similarly, the size of the opening 32 can beregulated as desired, and in some instances may be completely elimi'nated.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention areillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size ofthe illustrated construction may be made Within the scope of theappended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.However, the particular shape of the precast concrete body enables it tobe used for many purposes such as piling, retaining walls, and the like.

I claim:

1. A retaining wall comprising:

(a) a plurality of precast units stacked vertically in end to endrelation to form a first vertical column;

(b) each of said units having parallel end surfaces to enable said unitsto be stacked vertically one on the other;

(e) each of said units having three concave side surfaces extendingbetween said end surfaces;

(d) said three concave side surfaces overlapping and spaced in a mannerfrom each other to form three legs;

(e) one of said concave side surfaces extending between two of said legsto form a front face of the retaining wall, and the other two of saidconcave side surfaces extending rearwardly relative to said front faceto form rear faces of the retaining wall and also forming the third leg;

(f) said third leg being positioned rearwardly of said two legs andfront face and forming a brace for the wall;

g) means extending vertically through said stacked units to aid inpositioning them;

(h) interlocking means formed on the edges of said two legs;

(i) a plurality of precast units stacked vertically in end to endrelation to form additional vertical columns adjacent said firstvertical column; and

(j) said units of said additional vertical columns being similar inconfiguration to said units of said first column and having interlockingmeans for engaging with said interlocking means on said units of saidfirst column to thereby form a retaining wall of desired height andlength.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,683 8/1883 Thomas 61-4919,788 4/1909 Smith 6l4 1,002,161 8/1911 Lambert 61-4 1,893,003 l/1933Schlueter -2 6l-4 2,184,462 12/1939 Milliken 61-4 2,374,624 4/ 1945Schwendt 52227 2,511,761 6/1950 Barber et al. 52-223 X 2,686,951 8/1954Seaman S2-223 X PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

